Topic: PC vs X1X Cost Effectiveness

@NEStalgia Minimum hardware and price point wise, you can build a PC with similar GPU performance/better specs otherwise compared to an XB1X for ~$600. There was one article last year where I posted links for a number of products adding up to very close to $600. Basically, it used a Ryzen 3 1200 (~$110, better than a 6 year old Jaguar ), GTX 1060 with 3GB VRAM (~$220 MSRP, but many GPU's of mid-high end varieties are SUPER overpriced in a lot of places right now), a decent $60-65 B350 mATX motherboard, and a number of other parts inside a roomy and snazzy (but not gaudy) minitower case.

This is all one needs for at least 1080p/60 FPS in all but the most demanding games. 1440p/40-60 FPS is also very doable in many titles, depending on settings. Anything above ~$600 for a whole build is just extra performance icing, if you only use the computer for gaming and not demanding production. As for 2160p... most people just use the VSR (virtual super resolution) function on newer GPU's made within the past few years, which doesn't natively render at 4K, but looks close enough in practice that even if you squint, one probably couldn't tell the difference on most LCD-LED displays.

But yeah, your Haswell system will still work fine for most titles, as long as the GPU is also up to snuff. IPC (instructions per clock) growth rate on Intel's newest CPU's has not scaled very much above Haswell's performance level. In fact, the 7th generation Kaby Lake CPU's had zero performance growth over the 6th generation Skylake series! Many people still get by using an overclocked Core i7-2600k Sandy Bridge CPU today. So you can hold out with your Haswell until next year, at least, although you might consider a new SSD if you want to make the most of what you currently have. I would hold off on buying any GPU until you can find a decent price... which may take a while.

@NEStalgia There's definitely caveats, like ones we talked about last year. In some ways it's better than 1998 (you can build a future-ready gaming PC for under $1000, modern PC designs are vastly improved in every way over '90s designs, and there are outlets like MicroCenter and iBuyPower that can do the dirty work for you), but in other ways it's still just as bad or even worse. (There are potential pitfalls at every turn, pricing structure for certain products is all screwed up due to things like mining and production shortages, and new products don't improve exponentially over previous products every year like they used to.) You would have to be willing to spend a lot of time figuring out how to prevent critical problems, which is why it took me months to figure out the configuration for everything I wanted when I built my current comp last year. Not to mention figuring out how to improve noise/airflow profiles, which I'm still not done with. (I have a midtower, bigger than minitower and smaller than full tower).

But yeah, until you're ready for a big commitment, stick with the PS4/Pro, and just save your money and get an XB1 S model if you really want an Xboned.

Copy/paste for every thread like this on the internet:

1. Get a Switch if you want Nintendo's content. Even if you don't want Nintendo's content get it if you have any of the other gaming machines and want something to supplement it. It's the only platform that offers something significantly different to what everyone else is doing.

2. Get one of PS4/XBOne/PC. Which one is best for you depends on what specific things you are after. In general though all of these platforms are mostly about the big multi-platform releases. So think twice before buying more than one. As for which one is best for you?

2A. Get the PS4 if you're into Sony's exclusives or any of the Japanese releases that are often exclusive to the platform. It's also the current #1 platform overall in terms of install base so if a big game comes out it'll likely appear on the PS4. Is it the platform for 4K? No. But for 1080p it's powerful enough to get the job done.

2B. Get the XBOne if you want 4K content for your new 4K TV. Mostly because of the 4K BluRay player. It doesn't hurt that the XBOne X is a decently capable, full HDR supporting, (relatively) plug and play machine that can push decent visuals at 4K. But even the XBone S is a decent get for 4K given it's one of the cheapest 4K BluRay players on the market

2C. Get a PC if you want flexibility. Not just in terms of what you can do with it and how much you are willing to spend pushing the specs. Also because of the fact that you can easily play games from previous generations without much issue. You can choose what controller you want to use or even go full KB/Mouse if you want. And if you do want to move to 4K later on? Upgrade your GPU in a couple of years

3. As a third machine? You probably don't need it. Only get a third machine if you either have money to burn or can really justify it. For example if you have a Switch and a PC and then buy an XBOne S as a cheap 4K BluRay player. Or if you have a PS4 and a Switch and want to get a PC for reasons other than gaming and while you're at it why not throw a mid-range GPU in it.

I've just looked up both RAM and GPU prices.

Dear God.

I thought my behemoth was expensive.

Wait to see if prices fall first on components because damn, it's not even reasonable anymore.

Go PC for sure. It's the best platform to be gaming on IMO. The upfront cost is worth it but you would be surprised how cheaply you can build a capable machine that still leaves the door open for future upgrades.

EDIT: For example something like this is a great starting point. It's an Athlon processor but runs on AM4 platform which is supported till 2021 and Ryzen processors are AM4 so it leaves a great upgrade path. But the new Athlon 950 will run all games you need it to. A 1050ti is a good, affordable entry level card and 8 gb of ram will be enough to handle games for a bit. The price comes in under $500.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9w2Y6X

@NEStalgia
I mean, look. I like having a PC. I'm not trying to rag on them. But I'd just rather have a $499 X1X that has all the advantages of console and still runs games in peak performance, has 360 BC, has Xbox BC, etc.

But in the interest of balance, you could make a build like mine for $650, and there are benefits to PC (Dolphin GC, Wii and PS2 for starters, Xenoblade in 4K is glorious).

Personally my main interest in PC is in my new Occulous Rift, 6th gen emulation and the upcoming GPD Win 2 handheld. And ya it's nice having.

But you're asking about an either or situation, and if I were forced to choose, X1X would be it.

seriously at this point in time: what advantages do consoles still have over PC?
-games need installations (no more plug and play)
-many games need day one patches
-exclusives are many times just consoles exclusives (xbox games come to windows 10 and death stranding for example will come to PC too)
-most games are optimized for controllers on PC too
-you can buy complete gaming PCs. no need to build it on your own

everybody needs a PC anyway. might just invest some money to make it play videogames too and save the money for a console that will be obsolete in a few years and can't be upgraded

@6ch6ris6 Is that still true for Death Stranding? Maybe before it was running on the Decima engine, but now it's running on a Sony engine, and since they are publishing the game... It could end up as a PS4 exclusive.

@JaxonH
"But in the interest of balance, you could make a build like mine for $650, and there are benefits to PC (Dolphin GC, Wii and PS2 for starters, Xenoblade in 4K is glorious)."

Ehem...
You did that ?
Emulators ?
I had stopped since i owned my Original 3DS XL.
I lost my interest with PC gaming quickly once i spent my time for Handheld and Console gaming.
Power of PC = Nothing for me.
If i can play on consoles or handheld, No Need PC games.
I'm not drolling for Beefy specs, 4K, 120 Hz because my games are Mostly 95 % Cartoonish with Less Requirement of OMG Ultra Realistic Graphics.

@Anti-Matter
Um, ya.

I have 150 GameCube and Wii games, and I'm not going to keep a Wii hooked up just to play them. I've already got a PS4 Pro, Xbox One X, Switch, Wii U and PC hooked up to my tv. That's FIVE consoles.

Plus, I can't stand playing GameCube and Wii games in 360p. Screw that. Xenoblade Chronicles on PC looks just as good as Xenoblade 2 on Switch. Metroid Prime looks like a modern Switch game. Fire Emblem Path of Radiance looks like a modern game.

Don't underestimate the value of resolution. It's not about "4K" it's about playing them in HD graphics. And HD makes these games playable again. 4K is just icing on the cake and look even better, but 1080p is fine.

Nobody wants to play games in standard definition. I bought the games. I own them. And I'm gonna play them in HD, where they actually look modern and not like a 3DS game blown up on a television

@Anti-Matter Dude, serious question, what is your one man army march against games looking nice with better resolutions and people wanting to step outside the console boundary (especially outside of Nintendo consoles)? I'm not trying to be condescending or anything but I seriously just do not get it.

The only real advantages PC gaming have are Steam sales (the fact you know that during certain times of the year a lot of the stuff you'd want is going to be extremely cheap whereas on consoles those games will be full price or minimal discounts) and free online multiplayer. If you're fine with paying more then consoles are the way to go.

i will not buy a freaking ps4 just for one game so i hope it's still true. pretty sure

@6ch6ris6 Allegedly, there was a Q&A with Sony in which he said the game was coming to PS4 first, and later to PC. But that was in 2015, and the Q&A has been removed since, the link results in an error page. So it's hard to confirm or deny. It's worth mentioning that this was before he got his hands on the Decima (Horizon Zero Dawn's) engine. And none of the trailers, even those from Kojima's own YouTube channel, mention PC or Steam.

@Grumblevolcano
There are more advantages than that. The main ones being the lack of "generations", flexibility and the upgrade path. For example I built myself a new PC a few years ago. If I wanted to go all "4K gaming" now I could spend $650AU on an XBOne X or $500AU on a PS4 Pro. For that price I could get a 1070 which would comfortably let me game at 4K.

Though personally I don't have much interest in 4K gaming right now. If I was to upgrade my PC I'd probably just upgrade to a similar spec but more efficient GPU with a bit more VRAM. Either way, the point is that I have that options. I know upgrading components scares some people but if you aren't it's one thing PCs certainly have over consoles.

1. PC is Very Bulky, Consuming a Lot of Watts especially Super PC, Can't be carried away. Even playing from Laptop, just..... No for me. Laptop also must be plugged on electricity mostly despite of its portability.
2. I don't play with OMG Ultra HD Realistic games like FF XV, NBA 2K series, etc. I play with A Lot of HD CARTOONISH games with Less Realistic Rendering such as Portal Knights, The Sims 4, Overcooked, Poi : Explorer Edition, etc. Powerful console such as PS4 or Flexible handheld such as Switch are Enough for me to enjoy the games.
3. Installation could be very Tricky, Not all my PC parts compatible with specific games. Also, the games like The Sims 4 PC, I HAVE to Register Origin to Activate the games while the PS4 version, I DON'T NEED to Register At All, just several Updates, Finished, Play the games.
4. Consoles / Handhelds = Cheaper, Fancier looking.
5. I'm NOT Hungry for 4K, 120 Hz, etc. Just gimme 1080 p / 720 p HD Cartoonish games or Acceptable Resolutions for Older machines with Great gameplay on consoles or handhelds, i DON'T Need PC games at all.

I have Four machines hooked up on my TV. They are Wii, Wii U, PS2 and Switch (PS4 will be later). I set my machines like these:
For Wii, i gave it an AV2HDMI converter to upgrade a bit to 1080p output despite still looked Too Bright and a bit Washed out, but that setting worked for my Gamecube games on my Wii.
For Wii U, i just play my Wii games on Wii U to get Better 1080p from Wii U machine by Naturally.
For PS2, i gave it a Component cables and my PS2 games such as Para Para Paradise, DDDR EXTREME JPN, etc looked Very Crisp in 480p, just like Wii games on Wii U games. And my PS2 games will be Dominated by KONAMI Rhythm games such as DDR series, Guitar Freaks & DrumMania series, Beatmania IIDX series, Popn Music srries, etc so even with 480p outputs, i'm content with the specs like that.
For Switch, i use the Dock IF.... I want to play with TV because i play my Switch on Handheld 98 %.

And don't underestimate the Lower Resolutions games (240p, 360p, etc) just because they are Older games like GBA, NDS, 3DS, PS2, PS1, etc. Even i can't upscaling to 1080p, i'm content with 480p output. As long Not Too Blurry, Not too Jaggy, Not Too Bright / Dark, i can play those games with Lower settings.

@Octane stop destroying my dreams !!! >

There are plenty of cases around there which accept standard PC components and are about the same size as an XBox One or PS4. This is before you even look at custom builds. For an extreme example consider this machine that was just announced at CES:
https://www.anandtech.com/show/12226/intels-hades-canyon-nucs...

Higher specs than the XBOne X and because it doesn't need an optical drive it's actually 0.5cm thinner, 5cm shorter and 1cm less deep than the Wii. Of course you can have a PC that's a massive, power hungry device but that doesn't mean that all PCs are like this.

What's your point? Even if that sort of style meant less horsepower required that doesn't really change anything. The thing about PC gaming is that it doesn't have to be super high end or super low end in terms of specs. Sure if you gdo with an i5/i7 and a 1080 and you'll be able to demolosih 4K benchmarks. But pair a Ryzen 3 CPU with a 1050 and 8GB of RAM and you'll have a decent 1080p gaming machine. And if all you want to do is play indie games the "non-gaming" PC you likely have for other reasons likely does a good enough job for that.

The cheaper point I think I've already covered. On your claim that PCs don't look as "fancy" here are a couple of videos from CES. Educate yourself so you stop making so much of a fool of yourself

@NEStalgia I'm with @JaxonH. Get the X. It's the easiest solution, it's a quite competent PC in a box, no upgrade/parts exchange hassle, backwards compatibility for original Xbox and Xbox 360 with improved performance, and even though it's well behind Sony's game portfolio numbers-wise, it still has around 106 exclusive titles, and that amount will grow. And a console is obviously much easier to connect to your TV, because it will always be less bulky, so even though you could also connect your PC to your TV for couch gaming, it would still not be as user (and living space) friendly.

And you may not have a 4K TV yet, but performance is also important, and the X is simply the most powerful console around right now, period. No discussion possible. Games running considerably smoother than on any other console is definitely nothing to scoff at, even though it's sometimes held back by (presumably) third party parity concerns with the other platforms (PS4/PC), but none of that should be a decisive factor in any decision concerning what would be the best option for you, especially if you don't really want to go the whole "parts hunting and building a rig" route again.

And in the end, you'll probably have that 4K TV sooner than you think, considering the fact that buying another Full HD TV to replace the current one will probably not even be an option anymore in a couple of years, because they will simply be phased out. I don't know how old your current TV is, but chances are that it's gonna go in the next 2-3 years, since modern TV's aren't made to last any longer than 5-6 years anymore, on average, before they seriously start to degrade.

Back to consoles: I currently have the One S, which is already quite competent, but a good friend of mine has the X, and that is truly a considerable step up. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise. And what's more: it's the ONLY console that does native 4K gaming. Sony has a great marketing machine, but they're definitely not fooling me with their checkerboard upscaling. In comparison, they only have a handful of titles that have ACTUAL 4K assets, the rest is all just faux-4K upscaling malarkey...

Oh, and before I forget it: the sound quality on the X is also quite high, especially if you have options to connect to a Dolby Atmos system, but even decent headphones already give pretty great quality sound.

I can also recommend this Xbox One X review video from our good friends at Digital Foundry:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJmWsgFl6kA

Quite a few people have rather mixed opinions about them because of their affiliation with EuroGamer (and Nintendo Life), but where it concerns these kinds of tech videos, they definitely do their homework, and they really know what they're talking about.

And to give you even more of an idea if the X is worth it for you or not, they've got a whole series of videos comparing the Xbox One X version of multi-plats with the PS4 Pro versions, and the X comes out on top 9 out of 10 times, so for exclusives, the Pro is nice, but for multi-plats on consoles, there simply is no other choice than the X if you want to get the most out of these games.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLY9cZ8nX4xml2aood52qLA...

This is also a good video, comparing both consoles and a PC in the same price range:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gci-KI-RRbg

Oh, and if you REALLY want to know why you DON'T want to go for a gaming PC now, watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh8tZ_qkY1o

Seriously man, if you've even considered any of these points, and don't want to go back to a repeat of your past (bad) experiences with PC building and upkeep, get that Xbox One X. You'll thank me later.

And I won't even hold it against you that you didn't tag me, the IT Sales & Marketing guy, in this topic...